Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Educ ation
Spotlight
on
NECI
page
14
Pets
and
Animals
IN THIS ISSUE:
4: Animal Issues in the
Legislature
7: Public Drinking Water
Bill Stalled
8: Green Mountain Film
Festival
PRSRT STD
CAR-RT SORT
U.S. Postage
PAID
Montpelier, VT
Permit NO. 123
EAST MONTPELIER Late one cold Monday evening in February, Anne Ward, director of operations of the Central Vermont
Humane Society, got a call at her home. The Humane Society of
the United States was in contact with the Vermont State Police
about a case in Eden, Vermont. There were up to 50 dogs, they
said, and they had a search warrant they were going to serve in two
days. Could they count on Central Vermont Humane Societys
help? Anne said yes.
One week and three home visits later, over 80 animals had been
signed over to the Humane Society and distributed to shelters and
foster homes in Vermont and New Hampshire, almost twice as
many as they had been expecting. Almost all the animals were
dogs; there were just three cats and one duck. The duck, Miss
Kitty, has already found a home in Montpelier with a family that
has other ducks, giving her a flock to belong to. The cats needed
to be quarantined immediately and treated for ringworm, which a
shelter in Springfield volunteered to do.
This amazing case was met with an even more amazing response.
According to the Go Fund Me fundraising page for this rescue effort (www.gofundme.com/edentescueevent ), most of the animals
were living in deplorable conditions. Nearly all were living in their
own excrement and severely malnourished and dehydrated. There
were so many animals that there was not a single shelter in the
state that had the capacity to care for them all. There is no place in
Vermont or New Hampshire that can take so many animals with
such severe needs at one time. Response to this situation required
many different organizations to come together.
The Bridge
P.O. Box 1143
Montpelier, VT 05601
get and staff. These separate shelters and individuals came together
in an unprecedented coordination of area nonprofit rescues says
the Go Fund Me site. Each shelter contributed what it could and
what it did best.
For example, even though Central Vermont Humane Society
was willing to take responsibility for the animals, they were not
prepared to organize the emergency medical care the animals
needed right after they were rescued. But the Humane Society of
Chittenden County was, and they did. They set up an emergency
care clinic to meet the needs of the animals immediately. North
Country Animal League took care of transportation, providing
vehicles and numerous trips to get the animals to care and shelter.
And finally, Spring Hill Horse Rescue was willing to take on the
legal investigation and process the evidence for each animal to be
used in the violation report with the office of the states attorney.
Veterinarians gave and continue to give their help to provide the
numerous treatments the dogs need. Three dogs went immediately
into emergency care; one is recovering well, but the other two are
still in critical condition. One dog has a damaged intestinal system
and another has lymphoma. They are receiving the best care available and are comfortable.
Many of the dogs have extensive medical needs, from dental disease and eye infections to heart worms and hair loss. One dog had
to have three surgeries: for an infection of the uterus, for a partial
ear amputation so that an ear infection could be treated, and dental
work to address abscesses in her mouth. The veterinary community has been overloaded by the varying needs of the animals. It
will take months before all of them get the medical attention they
need and can be placed for adoption.
The situation in Eden is currently under investigation, and police are working with the office of the Lamoille County states
attorney. The owner of the pets was cooperative and voluntarily
surrendered the animals. There are still five dogs and four cats at
Continued on Page 5
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M A RC H 19 A P R I L 1, 2 015 PAG E 3
T H E B R I D G E
nection, are invited to submit to Chandler original plays on social issues with a running time
of at least 45 minutes. Submissions may be made on paper or by electronic mail, but must
be received by April 30.
A $20 entry fee, a description of the plays record of past public presentation if applicable,
and a statement confirming that the play has not yet been produced professionally must accompany each submission. A second script may be submitted by the same playwright for an
entry fee of $15. Finalists will be notified by June 30, and each will receive a $150 cash prize.
Information may be found at www.chandler-arts.org.
RANDOLPH Artist Christopher J. Fuhrmeister is currently showing photographs at Gifford Medical Centers art gallery through April
1. Fuhrmeister was given a Kodak Brownie
camera when he was 12 and bought his first
35-millimeter camera while in high school,
working on features for his yearbook and as
a newspaper sports photographer. He was a
general photographer for his college paper, and
later worked as a reporter/photographer for the
St. Johnsbury Caledonian-Record newspaper.
This exhibit is free and open to the public, and
will be displayed through April 1. The gallery is
located just inside the hospitals main entrance
at 44 S, Main St. (Route 12) in Randolph. Call
(802) 728-7000 for more information.
Community Budget
Support Request
$50*
$200 $250
$100
$150
Thank
You!
PAG E 4 M A RC H 19 A P R I L 1, 2 015
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MONTPELIER If the dog is humanitys best friend, and if all politicians are human,
then the dog must be the best friend of members of the legislature. From the start of this
year's session, politicians under the Golden Dome have been turning to dogs (and other
animals) as inspiration for legislation, no doubt seeking relief from more prickly issues,
such as budget deficits.
provide dog fighting equipment or a venue. Police or Humane Society officials can seize
property, equipment, money, securities and anything else of value furnished by a person
convicted of animal cruelty. Forfeiture can also happen if "there is probable cause to
believe that the property was used or is intended to be used in violation of this section,"
according to the proposal.
In January, Sen. John Rodgers, of Glover, introduced a bill that would have made the
beagle the states official dog breed. Objections that it would single out one particular
breed led to the bill's demise. In March, however, Rep. Job Tate, R-Mendon, proposed
the state adopt the rescue dog as the official canine. That bill, first read on March 10,
was sent to the Committee on Government Operations and is still under consideration.
Forfeiture would also include land. The bill reads, "All real property, including any
right, title, and interest in the whole of any lot or tract of land and any appurtenances
or improvements thereto, which is used in any manner or part to commit or to facilitate
the commission of a violation of any provision of chapter 84, subchapter 1, of this title."
Other animal bills mostly relating to protection of animals and humans surfaced
this year as well. The bills ranged from outlawing possession of shark fins to putting teeth
in the current laws on dog bites.
Regarding shark fins, sharks were once the reigning predator in the sea but are now
endangered. Shark fin soup is a delicacy, sometimes fetching $100 per bowl. Fishermen,
mostly in Asia, catch sharks, cut off their dorsal fins, and dump the animals back into
the ocean to die. The legislation banning the possession, sale, and distribution of shark
fins after July 1 would impose a fine of up to $1,000 per shark fin confiscated. Vermont
would become the 10th state outlawing the trade in shark fins.
The proposal, H.122, was introduced in early February. Its sponsor, Rep. James McCullough, D-Williston, is a member of the House Committee on Fish, Wildlife, and
Water Resources. "In as much as we can determine, there is no one possessing, buying,
or selling shark fins in Vermont at this time," McCullough said. That fact makes enactment easier, the House member added. The legislation gives Vermont "a voice and role in
curtailing this damaging practice," he explained.
The proposed House bill has languished in committee since being introduced in early
February. The bill was still in committee as of Friday, March 13, the date when proposals
must reach the House floor for a final vote.
Switching back to four-legged friends, the senate bandied about a bill to control dog
fighting. Bill S.102, is sponsored by Sen. Dick Sears, D-Bennington, and Sen. Tim Ashe,
D-Chittenden. Sears, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the bill "proposes
to create a process for asset forfeiture for persons convicted of using animals in animal
fights." The bill defines persons involved in animal cruelty as those who train, exhibit or
Allen Gilbert, executive director of the Vermont American Civil Liberties Union, expressed concern the forfeiture legislation went too far, telling senators the bill would give
law enforcement greater incentive to grab and sell property. Sixty percent of the proceeds
of forfeited property sold goes to the law enforcement agency involved in the seizure. The
remaining 40 percent is split between the local prosecutor and the state's general fund,
where it will fund alternative justice programs.
A bill related specifically to dog bite liability also hit the committee room. Vermont currently is among the handful of states that follow the "one-bite" common law governing
liability. This law assumes a dog owner is harmless in the case of an attack unless the
animal's owner knows the dog to be dangerous.
Although this requirement runs contrary to what is followed in most states, where there
is strict liability for dog owners, Vermont courts have refused to challenge the current
rule. For example, in a 2009 dog bite case, a three-year-old girl was attacked by a boxer.
The girl underwent emergency surgery. But in 2014, when the parents sued the animal's
owners to reclaim hospital expenses, Vermont's Supreme Court refused to get involved.
"Like the majority of courts which have considered the issue before us, we see no reason to
single out dog ownership for treatment that is different from that we apply to auto drivers,
storekeepers, and other human pursuits," the justices ruled.
The bill introduced in the House of Representatives seeks to bring Vermont into the
modern era. "This bill proposes to make a domestic dog owner strictly liable if his or her
dog bites a person," according to H.56 introduced by Rep. Michael Mrowicki, D - Putney.
Although much of the proposed legislation likely will not make it to the governor's desk,
the issues raised reinforce Vermont's rural roots and its struggle to update laws written
in another age.
T H E B R I D G E
M A RC H 19 A P R I L 1, 2 015 PAG E 5
the residence that were not surrendered, but Central Vermont Humane Society plans to see
the situation through to the end and will be there for the remaining animals as the case
progresses.
As animals are adopted, the shelters will have more space to bring the Eden animals in from
foster care and find them adoptive homes. Anne Ward has been at the Humane Society
since 2007 and says she has never seen so many dogs in foster care. They are running an
adoption special to free up space for the Eden dogs. Some of the Eden dogs are already up
for adoption. More information can be found on the CVHS website, www.centralvermonthumane.org, or by phone at 476-3811.
oison prevention week for pets is March 1521. This annual observance started in
1961 to highlight the dangers of accidental poisonings in children, and is a great
time to discuss potential dangers to our pets as well.
In reviewing over 180,000 calls about pets exposed to potentially poisonous substances
in 2012, the Poison Control Center for the American Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) reports that for the fifth straight year, prescription human
medications were the top problem. In 2012, 25,000 calls were taken that involved
human prescription medications: That's about 70 calls per day. The top three human
medications ingested by pets were heart/blood pressure pills, antidepressants and pain
medications.
The next most common poisonous substances. Affecting pets were insecticides, with
19,000 calls; over half of those calls were for cats. Our feline friends are very susceptible
to ingredients in many over-the-counter and veterinary products. Always read the label
fully and check with your veterinarian before applying any topical products on a cat!
Over-the-counter human drugs were the third most common form of pet poisoning,
including drugs such as aspirin and Tylenol and even herbal products and nutritional
supplements. Coming in fourth were veterinary products such as flavored chew tabs for
pets. In many of these cases, the entire bottle was consumed! Rounding out the top five
were household items, including cleaning products.
Dogs are much more likely to get into trouble around the house than cats, with Labrador
retrievers topping the list. They are followed by mixed-breed dogs, chihuahuas, golden
retrievers, and Yorkshire terriers. Prevention consists of pet proofing your home in the
same way you would child proof it: Keep all potentially toxic substances high up out of
reach or, even better, locked up.
If you suspect your pet has ingested any of the items listed above or chocolate, foods
with xylitol sweetener (e.g., gum), a rodenticide or any lawn and garden product, call
your veterinarian immediately. If you are not sure if the product is toxic, call. It's better
to be safe than sorry. If you cannot reach your veterinarian, the ASPCA's Poison Control
Center has a 24-hour hotline at 888-426-4435. Since 1978, they have handled over two
million calls.
refuse to license their dogs. I have no idea how many dogs there are in Montpelier, but I
know there are a lot more than 400. Grodinsky suggested forming a committee to find
creative ways to pay for what those at the meeting referred to as poop stations, which
consist of a metal post with a bag dispenser and a waste receptacle. Edgarly Walsh had
a similar idea, suggesting the Department of Public Works put some of the disused parking meters in Hubbard Park for dog waste bag users to put in coins when they walk their
dogs in the park.
Discussion then turned toward enforcement. If people are refusing to license dogs now,
then the city should concentrate on enforcement it was said. Council member Tom
Golonka suggested keeping the license fees at $10, but raising and enforcing fines for
those who dont get their dogs licensed.
Council member Dona Bate said updating the dog ordinance needs to be done. We are
definitely having an issue with people not picking up their dog waste, Bate said.
Council member Anne Watson encouraged Conison to work with the Parks Commission
to prepare a proposal.
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he City Council begins the post-election year with the same members,
which will provide a degree of continuity that has not occurred in Montpelier in many years. While turnover can be a good thing for public bodies, I believe our city will benefit from a second year of continuity on the city
council.
Our council members, Tom Golonka, Jessica Edgerly Walsh, Anne Watson, Justin Turcotte, Thierry Guerlain, Dona Bate and me, hold diverse political views,
but are a group that works hard, listens respectfully and solves problems through
collaboration. The fact that our municipal budget was approved by 80 percent of
voters the highest in at least 30 years is a testament to the hard work of the
council. I look forward to serving another year with these talented and dedicated
individuals.
Public Participation
Only about one-third of Montpeliers registered voters voted on Town Meeting
Day. Although our voter turnout was higher than in many communities, a system
in which two-thirds of participants opt out clearly needs improvement. A recent
article in the Bridge included comments from many local residents who choose not
to vote, for a variety of reasons. We need to improve our understanding of why so
many voters choose not to participate in local elections and find ways to ensure
that their participation is meaningful.
One easy way to encourage greater voter participation is to allow for same-day
voter registration. I am pleased to join with City Clerk John Odum in supporting
legislation, S.29, a bill under consideration in the legislature which would allow
voters to register on the day of an election.
While our rate of voter participation should be higher, the level of citizen participation on our boards and commissions is remarkable. The council regularly has
to choose between highly qualified applicants for volunteer city positions. I am
constantly amazed by, and grateful to, the talented individuals who offer to spend
long hours volunteering on our boards, commissions and committees. Their participation makes Montpelier a far richer and more interesting city.
Public Engagement on the Budget
Montpelier also has an impressive level of community engagement on important
decisions. We have benefited greatly from citizen input on a range of issues in
recent months, including the Taylor Street development, our downtown design,
the bicycle and pedestrian master plan, and a city branding project.
We will be reaching out to the community this spring for help in solving the significant budget challenge that we will face in the coming years: how to maintain
our commitment to make sustainable infrastructure investments while keeping
our taxes affordable.
Three years ago, we determined that the city was spending about one million dollars less each year on our roads and sidewalks than is needed to maintain them
in good condition. We adopted a six-year plan to increase infrastructure spending
by $166,000 annually for six years. We are now halfway towards that steady
state goal.
For the last three years, we have been able to increase significantly our infrastructure investment while still holding municipal tax increases to the rate of inflation.
That challenge has become more difficult each year, however, and will not be possible over the next three years without making structural changes in the delivery
of municipal services. We will not be able to deliver the same city services in the
T H E B R I D G E
M A RC H 19 A P R I L 1, 2 015 PAG E 7
MONTPELIER Rep. Warren Kitzmiller, D-Montpelier, has expressed disappointment at a 2-7 straw vote on March 12 in the Vermont House Fish, Wildlife & Water
Resources Committee. That negative straw vote appears to have ended further consideration of H.33 in this session. H.33, a bill that has been championed by Kitzmiller had it
passed, would have given given municipalities in Vermont the power to regulate public
surface water drinking supplies.
Reacting to the committees vote a day or two after it was taken, Kitzmiller said, Im
rather disappointed I couldnt make the committee understand the seriousness of the
whole thing.
There is a short history of H.33.
In October 2011, the Vermont Supreme Court ruled that the city of Montpelier could not
prohibit a range of recreational activities on Berlin Pond, the source of the citys drinking water and a pond where recreational activities had been off-limits for more than 100
years until the 2011 decision.
In the days and months that followed the October 2011 Supreme Court decision in the
town of Berlin, the city of Montpelier and other nearby communities, at least two camps
emerged. In one camp were people who favored a range of recreational activities on Berlin
Pond including fishing, boating and swimming. In a second camp, led by a group called
Citizens to Protect Berlin Pond were people who argued for full protection of the pond
as a drinking water resource that ought to be protected from human contact including
fishing, boating, swimming and the like.
In 2014, Citizens to Protect Berlin Pond submitted a petition to the Vermont Department
of Environmental Conservation seeking full protection for the pond. Another Montpelier
petition had been submitted earlier to the department that asked for a smaller number of
prohibitions protecting the pond from petroleum-based pollution.
In due course, the Department of Environmenal Conservation denied the Citizens petition. But it partly approved the citys petition by approving a ban on gasoline-powered
motorboats and ice augurs.
In the fall of 2014, Citizens to Protect Berlin Pond re-organized itself into a statewide
organization, the Vermont Coalition for Clean Water, and proposed H.33, a law that
would allow Vermont municipalities to assert local regulatory control over public access to
their surface water drinking supplies. The surface water affected by H.33 included about
a dozen ponds and a number of streams used as public drinking water supply sources
by communities such as St. Albans, St. Johnsbury, Barre, Brattleboro, Bellows Falls and
Montpelier.
According to Kitzmiller, there are 812 lakes and ponds in Vermont and if a dozen or so
ponds were affected by the proposed legislation there would still be 800 or so ponds left
open to recreational activities such as fishing, swimming and boating. The bill would affect 1.4 percent of the surface acreage of Vermont ponds and less than half of one percent
of the volume of water in the lakes and ponds of Vermont, Kitzmiller said.
At public hearings, Robert E. Dufresne, a professional engineer who has designed a
number of water treatment facilities across New England, including the Montpelier water
treatment plant, argued for passage of H.33. In his testimony he contended that allowing
recreational uses of Berlin Pond removes a key barrier to providing safe water to customers. He further argued that treated water does not test for every known contaminate
continuously. In fact, most of all the water reaching our customers has never been tested
for contamination. He finally argued, A typical water treatment facility does not as-
PAG E 8 M A RC H 19 A P R I L 1, 2 015
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ave you ever made a seven minute video? I suspect many readers can respond in
the affirmative to this question. Its not all that difficult to record your cat for
seven minutes. Or to shoot your child in the chorus at a school concert. Or to
film, with your iPhone, a friend dancing to Video Killed the Radio Star.
Have you ever made a seven minute video in 48 hours? Again, if you answered yes to
the first question, I would bet that you made your short film in less than two days, mostly
likely in about seven minutes. Ive never done an exhaustive study of it, but I would guess
that most videos on YouTube or Vimeo are done in a single take, or at the very least edited
in the camera meaning that the filmmaker shot the video sequentially without loading the footage into an editing program and selecting the best material.
These shorts go something like this: First shot my cat eating Friskies. Second shot
my cat licking its paw and then using the wet paw to wash its head; my cat doing
yoga, or maybe hes just stretching. Last shot my cat sleeping on my laptop keyboard.
GRRRRR! My seven minute cat film took me 17 minutes to make. Maybe I didnt need
four whole minutes of him eating, but its too late to trim it now Ive already posted
it on Facebook. Admittedly, the story wasnt really planned out; the actor was indifferent; the cinematography is shaky too much coffee for the director of photography; the
audio is full of the directors unheeded suggestions.
Once your cat video is in distribution its been liked and shared on social media
and youre thinking a seven minute short film is a piece of cake, maybe you should try
a film slam. Youre in for an education.
On Friday, March 20, at 6 p.m., seven teams of five members each will assemble at the
Green Mountain Film Festival box office. Shortly after 7 p.m., the teams will race out
into the night, assignments in hand. In the next 48 hours, each team will write, shoot,
and edit a short film that must come in under seven minutes and be screened before a
packed house on Sunday, at 7 p.m., in the Pavilion auditorium.
Ive judged film slams before but Ive never been part of a participating team. This year
Im the film slam coordinator, which means I get to be the human information booth for
the seven teams while theyre making their short films, and then I host the grand finale.
As already discussed, it takes a cell phone and no special talent to make a seven minute
video. However, to make a really good seven minute video, whether its comedy or drama,
takes talent, collaboration and most likely, experience. To make a really good seven minute video in 48 hours requires pulling an all-nighter or two. Sleep deprivation is not the
friend of talent or collaboration.
As Yogi Berra might say, Theres no better experience than having done it before. Some
of this years teams have done many slams, not just the GMFF. This years rookies include two high school teams from Randolph Technical Career Center and a gang from
Middlebury College.
To guard against teams arriving with ready-to-shoot screenplays, or already-shot elements, the GMFF Slam Committee has added a twist or two. First of all, you must pick
a genre out of a hat and make your short film in that genre. If you picked it, youve got
to make a Musical, or maybe a Western. Your love of fake blood and squibs may be
tested when you select Family. Second, every film must include three prompts: a specific Montpelier location, a Montpelier-centric prop, and a line of dialogue. For example,
last year, the location was the blinking light at Elm and School; the prop was a parking
ticket; the line was, you have to go out the back. One of the pleasures in watching the
final films is to keep an eye out for the prompts and the creative ways they are incorporated into the stories.
Of course, sometimes those creative types get carried away. One year, the location was
the closed-for-the-season Dairy Creme on Route 2. Mid-Slam, the owner called the box
office and asked if the people with a camera on the roof of his business had anything to
do with the festival.
OK, lets say you and your team have completed a wickedly clever or a beautifully
heartfelt short in the allotted time. Is your short better than the six other shorts? The
48-Hour Film Slam is a competition. Three industry professionals judge the final results. Thanks to the generosity of the Doran
Family Foundation and Montpelier Alive,
the winning team walks away with $2,000.
Second place is $750; third is $500. With real
money at stake, and the rush that comes from
showing something to an audience for the
first time, not to mention a collective apprehension of last minute technical failure, there
is a buzz in the room that makes the Pavilion
feel like the Barre Aud at tournament time.
Who will win the evenings top prize? I dont
know, but I have a hunch. Filmmaking is storytelling. Whoever tells the best story is the
favorite in my mind. Filmmakers have a lot of
tools at their disposal to help with their storytelling: Writing; photography; sound; editing; art direction and set design; costuming
and makeup; and most importantly, acting.
The next time I make a cat video, Im going
to cast my dog I only want to work with
actors who take direction.
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T H E B R I D G E
Montpelier also hosts a number of special guests during the festival. This years list includes such notable names as Gren Wells (writer and director of the 2014 film The Road
Within which will be screened on opening night), Lisa Leeman (co director of Awake:
The Life of Yogananda and Vermont College of Fine Arts faculty member), and Lukas
Huffman (whose directorial debut When the Ocean Met the Sky will be playing).
There will even be a Q&A with Oscar-winning editors (The Hurt Locker) Chris Innis
and Bob Murawski following the screening of the recently-remastered 1968 film, The
Swimmer. These filmmakers, along with many others, will be doing question and answer
sessions in addition to having their films screened, and there will even be a few interviews
via Skype with some filmmakers who are too far away to make it to Montpelier.
When asked what films and events she is excited for, Murphy listed a number of films
This years Green Mountain Film Festival has a lot to offer for anyone with any interest
in movies. We just want to showcase the best films that are out there, said Murphy,
which I think we did this year. Theres something for everyone. The variety of films and
events this year is expected to provide an inspiring cultural experience, and will certainly
keep everyone busy. Theres almost something every day for people to come and learn
more about or talk to filmmakers, so its really exciting! Murphy concluded. March 20
marks the beginning of this years festival, and it sounds like its going to be a good one.
For more information, visit www.gmffestival.org.
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Police Beat
Excerpts from Montpelier Police Department Media Report
March 28
A report came in of someone dumping garbage in their dumpster on St. Paul Street.
Police assisted a motorist with a flat tire on River Street.
A distraught female was reported to be crying inside of The Mad Taco on Main Street.
Montpelier police helped state game wardens with a report of an injured deer in the
area of Isabel Circle.
Police reported to a two-vehicle crash on Berlin Street
The burglary alarm was activated at Agway on East Montpelier Road.
The winter parking ban was enforced with tickets only.
Someone violated his or her conditions of release.
Three male subjects loitered on a fire escape on State Street.
A despondent subject under the influence of alcohol was taken into custody (found to
be on conditions of release) from Langdon Street.
Someone reported a sexual assault at a Langdon Street location.
A wallet was found near the post office on State Street.
Two vehicles crashed on River Street.
There was a report of a car alarm, going off for an extended period of time at the Pitkin
Court parking lot.
A vehicle went the reverse direction on Stone Cutters Way.
Someone reported a vehicle being hit at the Hunger Mountain Co-op
A juvenile problem was reported on Clarendon Avenue
An intoxicated male was picked up from Main Street and placed into protective custody.
Threats and harassment were reported on Barre Street.
DPW responded to a report of frozen pipes.
A suspicious person was reported to be on Terrace Street.
The owner of a wallet found at the Capitol Plaza parking lot was contacted.
A loose dog was found in Green Mountain Cemetery. The dog was returned to its
owner.
Someone turned in a black wallet with numerous credit cards.
A single silver key was found in back of City Hall on the ground.
A burglary alarm went off at Montpelier High Schools media center.
Someone requested help with a vehicle stuck in a snow bank on Pleasant Street.
All was quiet when officers responded to a report of loud music on Greenwood Terrace.
The officer on patrol observed an unattended vehicle with its rear hatch open on Elm
Street, but no one was around.
March 9-15
A report came in of a male doubled over by the side of the road at the intersection of
Berlin and Phelps streets.
Someone reported a two-car motor vehicle crash at the roundabout of U.S. Route 2
and U.S. Route 302.
Police responded to a burglary alarm on River Street.
Teenagers were hanging out on the loading dock at City Center on Main Street.
The Department of Public Works was called out for a water problem on Scribner Street.
A license plate was stolen off of a vehicle on School Street.
An owner reported their dog missing from their residence on North Street. The animal
later returned home.
A suspicious person was reportedly on State Street.
A disabled motor vehicle was located at the intersection of Berlin Street and Granite
Street.
Report of possible underage drinking party came in. Police deemed it to be unfounded.
Police identified the owner of a missing smart phone found outside the Montpelier
Police Station. It was returned.
Featured Photos
Sunlight peeks through leaves dancing in the breeze, lakes flow freely unhindered by frigid ice,
shade becomes a welcome treat of respite. Spring IS coming.
Photos by Daniel A. Neary, Jr.
M A RC H 19 A P R I L 1, 2 015 PAG E 11
T H E B R I D G E
ou can now support Green Up Day a spring day set aside for volunteers to
clean up the state by checking a box on your tax return. Prior to this year,
people could fund presidential campaigns, veterans and nongame wildlife via
tax returns. But, thanks to the hard work of Melinda Vieux, president of the nonprofit
organization Green Up Vermont, every taxpayer can also donate to Green Up Day on
their tax form. Vieux decided to get her organization on the tax form when some of the
bigger corporate sponsors, such as Ben & Jerrys Homemade Inc., dropped the cause in
recent years, Vieux said. This loss has threatened Green Up Days survival. Obtaining
tax return donations of any amount is critical to the success of Green Up Day, she said.
There are many great Vermont organizations and causes that Vermonters can donate to
when filing their taxes, said Gov. Peter Shumlin in a press conference March 12. Im
pleased that Green Up Vermont has been added to that list. For those who are able, I
hope youll consider donating to one of these great causes.
Green Up Day started in 1970 by Gov. Deane Davis along with Burlington Free Press
reporter Robert Babcock, according to the website greenup@greenupvermont.org.
Green Up's mission is to promote the stewardship of our state's natural landscape and
waterways and the livability of our communities by involving people in Green Up Day
and raising public awareness about the benefits of a litter-free environment, according
to the website.
Corporate sponsors include Subaru of New England, Casella Waste Management, Green
Mountain Power, Vermont State Employees Credit Union, National Life, Cooperative
Insurance Companies, 802 Creative Partners and WCAX.
Donations can also be made directly at any time online at www.greenupvermont.org or
by sending a check to Green Up Vermont, P.O. Box 1191, Montpelier, VT 05601-1191.
Donations are tax deductible whether made directly or through the state income tax
return.
Nature Watch
by Nona Estrin
PAG E 12 M A RC H 19 A P R I L 1, 2 015
THE BRIDGE
BARRE The sap is running, the birds are out, vitamin D levels are increasing and
with every passing day the melting snow reveals our four-legged friends travel patterns
throughout this past winter. Spring is right around the corner and downtown Barre is
starting to heat up already. The newly opened Positive Pie has been received by the community with much excitement. The space is inviting with high ceilings and a wide open
floor plan. As with the other P-Pie locations, the food is prepared with care and with
quality ingredients. And if you have to wait for a table, a unique lounge area provides a
comfortable space for conversation and gazing throughout the restaurant.
Ellie & Shirls Simply Delicious along with Bag Ladies Caf have moved out of the
historic Tinsley Place in Depot Square and into the Blanchard Block. The new space
incorporates delicious sweet confections, value added products, a deli shop and wine bar.
The new space is impressive with original tin ceilings and columns with expansive large
windows overlooking City Hall Park. The whole building has been renovated to keep its
historic elements while taking advantage of current technology such as LED lighting and
placement that highlight the restored architectural features.
Several other businesses have moved in to the restored Blanchard Block as well. Denise
Palmer from Ameriprise Financial has moved her office from the Barre-Montpelier Road
while Dr. Yorra from Central Vermont Medical Center has moved his practice from his
longtime Keith Avenue location.
The Central Vermont Community Land Trust is weeks away from starting its $9 million
renovation project that will create a mix of affordable housing units to make up for units
lost in the City Place redevelopment. There are also plans to create green space in the
downtown that will provide additional pedestrian enhancements. And of course, Granite
City Grocery, the startup coop grocery store, continues to grow its member owners and
is planning on a site selection sometime in 2015.
Meanwhile, the Vermont Granite Museum is preparing for some tremendous growth
this year. The northern gateway to Barre, the museum is a 25,000-square-foot timber
framed behemoth of a structure that was the largest manufacturing shed when built in
1895. Their collection of machinery, history and stories of the granite industry continues to grow while offering several unique working spaces for stone artists. The interior
of the museum will be enhanced with a catering kitchen and conference room allowing
the museum to provide expanded event services such as conferences, meetings, musical
performances and even weddings.
In addition, exterior enhancements to the surrounding 12 acres will help set the stage for
the full ecological plan. The location will include walking paths along the North Stevens
Branch with granite sculptures and viewing areas that will all connect to the main granite
courtyard and restored bocce ball court. The museum complex is a wonderful example
of community vision, revitalization and economic development. Once completed, the
granite park and accompanying museum will play an integral role in furthering the Barre
Gray legacy as the granite center of the world while at the same time providing central
Vermonters with a space for relaxation and admiration of the stone arts.
The Barre Farmers Market already enjoys its Saturday event at the museum, but will be
adding Wednesday to the schedule. The mid-week farmers market helps to complement
the Barre Summer Concert Series at Currier Park put on by the Barre Partnership and
the Authors at Aldrich Library series. The popular Rockfire event, named one of Vermonts top 10 summer events by the Chamber of Commerce, will expand to include an
additional evening at the museum that will highlight the historical significance of the
granite industry.
Downtown Barre is poised to have yet again another transformative and exciting year.
Joshua Jerome is the executive director of the Barre Partnership
M A RC H 19 A P R I L 1, 2 015 PAG E 13
T H E B R I D G E
Philamenas: In Pictures
Photos by Carla Occaso
Philamena's staff from left: Elizabeth Deringer, Todd Whitehead (owner)
and Liza Mackey
Fresh pasta and breads, and their gluten-free counterparts, are made onsite. All meatballs are prepared with gluten-free breadcrumbs.
Recycle
This Paper!
PAG E 14 M A RC H 19 A P R I L 1, 2 015
THE BRIDGE
Interview with Richard Flies, acting president, and Jean Louis Gerin,
chief operating officer
by Nat Frothingham and Carla Occaso
Frothingham (to Gerin): Do you see students who, like you, are not afraid of work
and opportunity?
Gerin: Yes. We see that a lot of young
people are very talented and eager to succeed. They get the magic of our profession
on the Internet and on television, but when
they want to be serious, they come to an
institution like us to get the fundamentals,
because the theatrical part of food is just
trends, and show people realize that a trend
is a trend, but the foundation will be the
same.
Occaso: Being a TV chef and being a superstar is a trend, as you say, why do you
think cooking has become so popular?
Gerin: First of all, it is very creative and
very artistic. It touches people. Any kind of
artist wants to touch people and food is an
art that is going to make people feel good,
or feel bad, but it is really touching people.
The act of cooking is an act of love and
people get that. Cooking is really a gift .
Flies: The food evolution in Vermont really
has been driven by NECI and the hundreds
of students who stay and open restaurants.
Fran Voigt
ago by
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Voigt,
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M A RC H 19 A P R I L 1, 2 015 PAG E 15
T H E B R I D G E
Winston: I believe I found it on the Internet. I was taking some time off from UVM
(majoring in business administration) and
I began baking bread for fun. That's when
I decided to look into culinary schools.
NECI's style of teaching and location were
ultimately what led me to apply.
Winston: A teacher and leader. I believe this is the result of the small classes
and hands-on approach to the academics.
When I see resumes with a NECI graduate
on them, I am a lot more prone to follow
up with those individuals because I know
what they have been through and know
that NECI does a great job of teaching
professionalism, a hard work ethic and
knowledge of the culinary field.
New England Culinary Institute is dedicated to providing a high quality, studentcentered, and career-focused education, which is grounded in culinary arts, baking and
pastry arts, and food and beverage business management. By actively participating in
NECI's reality-based curriculum, engaging with working food and beverage operations,
and completing extensive internships, students are prepared for professional advancement in a dynamic world. Through NECIs varied learning methodologies, students
develop a broad range of skills and the flexibility that will help them adapt to the diverse
opportunities in a quickly-evolving food and beverage industry. Toward that end, NECI
embraces four Cornerstones of Distinction: small classes that promote active learning;
strong reliance on learning by doing and real-life experience; an emphasis on interdisciplinary learning that supports NECIs concept of the educated person; and a focus on
promoting excellence in professional conduct and ethics.
Values: Commitment, positive attitude, teamwork, dedication, flexibility, integrity,
loyalty, passion for NECI, and service excellence.
Housing: Dormitories and houses and apartments in the community.
History: Since 1980 NECI has grown from seven students to about 500 per year.
Little known fact: Both the culinary arts and baking and pastry programs include two
700-hour internships with partners all over the world.
Admissions contact: admissions@neci.edu
PAG E 16 M A RC H 19 A P R I L 1, 2 015
THE BRIDGE
Montpelier is Grateful
for Yoga
by Ashley Witzenberger
ontpelier is home to several yoga studios, all with diverse offerings. New
business owner and local resident Chrissy Lafavour opened Grateful Yoga
on Oct. 1, 2014, and it has quickly grown into a favorite space in downtown
Montpelier. Lafavour graduated from the University of Vermont in 2011, finished her
yoga teacher training in 2012 and has been teaching yoga ever since. Lafavour was solo
when she opened, and in April, she will employ five additional instructors, allowing her
to continue to expand her class schedule.
What sets Grateful Yoga apart? It is the only Ashtanga studio in Montpelier. Ashtanga
Yoga is a method that involves synchronizing the breath with a progressive series of
postures, and thereby detoxifies muscles and organs. The results are improved circulation, a light and strong body and a calm mind. Lafavour opened the studio to create a
welcoming, safe space for daily practice. She encourages students to work hard while
having fun; We laugh a lot, says Lafavour. The classes welcome students of all levels
of skill and experience. The studio mantra is "Be great. Live full."
Beginning in April, Grateful Yoga will offer a 200-hour teacher training program for
those who would like to become certified yoga teachers. The training will bring people
to her downtown studio two weekends a month. Admission is rolling (until full), and
participants can complete the training at their own pace. Lafavour says she decided to
facilitate the training because of the number of requests she received for local training,
and there is no other such opportunity in central Vermont. People of all ages jumped to
sign up, and includes those who are already yogis and health care professionals. These
students are interested in bringing yoga to their workplace, school system, or their own
businesses. The training is registered with Yoga Alliance, a group working to promote
and support the integrity and diversity of the teaching of yoga.
For the rest of us who take yoga as a form of exercise and a way to de-stress, Grateful
Yoga offers a diverse class schedule as well as interesting special events and monthly
workshops, such as tea tastings, a shamanic journey and a very popular restorative
workshop. People of all ages are encouraged to try yoga; Grateful Yoga offers kids yoga
classes on Sundays and Mondays for ages 3-12. Each Sunday, students enjoy a community class, Community Ashtanga, from 5:40 to 7 p.m. The class is by donation and
all are welcome. Starting next month, Grateful Yoga will offer Mysore yoga; Mysore is
the place in India where Ashtanga yoga emerged. It is a two-hour class in which each
student creates his or her own experience by attending for the amount of time desired
and by participating in diverse ways. It is a departure from the practice to which most
of us are accustomed, where all students arrive at the same time and do the same poses
until the end of the class. Mysore yoga is, however, a traditional practice in India.
Lafavours students speak with enthusiasm about why they love coming to her studio.
Chrissy makes yoga a sacred practice, an everyday practice and very doable. You look
forward to the joy, exercise, and focus that Chrissy brings, says Barbara Korecki. There
is a core group that attends daily classes, and some who come as often as five times a
week. They say they really miss coming to the studio on their off days.
The respect is mutual. Lafavour is always thinking of different way to serve her students
and says she is all about the students and it shows.
Lafavour is already an active member of the business community, attending monthly
Montpelier Business Association meetings, and, as a new member of Montpelier Alive,
she offers great ideas and brings new friends with her.
For more details about the training program, workshops, events, and class schedule,
visit http://www.gratefulyogavt.com/ or stop by the charming studio in downtown
Montpelier at 15 State St. on the third floor. We also suggest checking out the Grateful
Yoga Facebook page for inspiring and beautiful videos and photos.
The writer is the executive director of Montpelier Alive
M A RC H 19 A P R I L 1, 2 015 PAG E 17
T H E B R I D G E
In pondering the meaning of Audens line, Elizabeth Robechek said her first reaction was to wonder if that were
true. Words, prayers, sometimes make things happen.
Words happen and things happen as a result.
Robechek said a common popular reaction to poetry is
that its an upper crust kind of thing. But she disagrees.
I think it is mainstream. I think of poems as carrying that
body of sensation around things that happen. It could
be that poetry makes everything. My profession was as a
landscape architect. As a semi-retired person, most of my
focus is on an art project that includes my drawing and art
work and poems. Two of the eight books are out already:
Removing My Seed Coat is the first. Germination
Power Surge is the second. Its the muse. The muse is
what you know.
PAG E 18 M A RC H 19 A P R I L 1, 2 015
THURSDAY, MARCH 19
Makers Day. Hosted by Central Vermont Economic Development Corporation. Meet Vermont
makers who are applying creativity, technological
savvy and entrepreneurial energy to solve problems
and produce real value. Makers will display
projects and technologies. 10 a.m.2 p.m. Vermont
State House, Room 11, Montpelier. 223-4654.
cvedc@sover.net.
Green Mountain Care Board Public Meeting.
Vermont Health Information Technology Plan
update, creating a sustainable primary care infrastructure within Vermont: a qualitative study of
Vermonts front-line providers. 14 p.m. GMCB
Board Room, City Center Building, 89 Main St.,
2F, Montpelier. gmcboard.vermont.gov.
Brain Injury Support Group. Open to all survivors, caregivers and adult family members. Third
Thurs., 1:302:30 p.m. Unitarian Church, 130
Main St., Montpelier. 244-6850.
Diabetes Discussion Group. Focus on selfmanagement. Open to anyone with diabetes
and their families. Third Thurs., 1:30 p.m. The
Health Center, Plainfield. Free. Don 322-6600 or
dgrabowski@the-health-center.org.
Survivors of Suicide Loss Support. Monthly
group for people affected by a suicide death. Third
Thurs., 67:30 p.m. Central Vermont Medical
Center, conference rm. 1, Fisher Rd., Berlin. 2230924. calakel@comcast.com.afsp.org.
Grandparents Raising Their Childrens Children. Third Thurs., 68 p.m. Child care provided.
Trinity United Methodist Church, 137 Main St.,
Montpelier. 476-1480.
Growing Rice in Central Vermont. Sjon Welters,
of Rhapsody Natural Foods, speaks on how he
has grown rice over the past six years and learn the
details on rice cultivation from a simple bucket
to paddy-style. A Transition Town program. 6
p.m. Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 135 Main St.,
FRIDAY, MARCH 20
March 2029: Green Mountain Film
Festival. Ten days, 61 films (including four
sneak previews) from 31 countries, as well
as six shorts programs and the much anticipated 48-hour film slam where teams compete against one another to make the best
short film on an assigned topic in two days.
Visit gmffestival.org for film descriptions,
times and venues. Tickets are available by
phone at 223-0050, online at gmffestival.
org and in person at the Festivals ticket
office located at 13 Main St., Montpelier
(across from the Savoy Theater). Tickets sell
out quickly!
Federal and State Tax Return Preparation.
AARP tax preparers will be at TVSC to prepare
federal and state tax returns at no charge. Twin
Valley Senior Center, Blueberry Commons, Rte. 2,
E. Montpelier. Free. Appointment required: 2233322. They will tell you what paperwork you need
to bring with you.
Essential Oil Distilling Demo. Open house. Distillation demos, AroMed Aromatherapy essential
oil line launch and free samples. 11:30 a.m.5:30
p.m. Grian Herbs Apothecary/Tulsi Tea Room,
THE BRIDGE
SATURDAY, MARCH 21
SUNDAY, MARCH 22
MONDAY, MARCH 23
Performing
Arts
THEATER, STORYTELLING
& COMEDY
March 20: Stroke Yer Joke: Comedy Open
Mic. Comedians get five minutes of stage time
with a cap of 15 comics per show. Sign-ups 7:30
p.m.; show starts 8 p.m. Espresso Bueno, 248
N. Main St., Barre. Free. 479-0896. espressobueno.com.
Mar. 2021: Mein Herr. TRIP Dance Company in Stowe performs its award-winning jazz
dance number Mein Herr along with other
award-winning dances. 7 p.m. Spruce Peak
Performing Arts Center, 7320 Mountain Rd.,
Stowe. Adults $25; students $20. 760-4634.
sprucepeakarts.org.
Mar. 22: No Strings Marionettes Present
The Hobbit. The Vermont masters of puppetry present J.R.R. Tolkien's tale of hobbit
Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf the Wizard and a band
of dwarves as they attempt to reclaim a lost
underground kingdom and its treasures. 1 p.m.
Barre Opera House, 6 N. Main St., Barre. $6.
476-8188. barreoperahouse.org.
Mar. 26: Macbeth. Presented by Kingdom
County Productions. Performed by The Acting
Company and Guthrie Theater. 7 p.m. St.
Johnsbury Academy, Fuller Hall, St. Johnsbury.
Tickets start at $15. 888-757-5559. Kingdomcounty.org.
Mar. 28: Bueno Comedy Showcase. Monthly
comedy showcase featuring comedians from
Vermont and across the country. Lineup includes Carmen Lagala, Sam Evans, Raj Sivaramen and Justy Dodge. Hosted by Sean Hunter
Williams. 8:30 p.m. Espresso Bueno, 248 N.
Main St., Barre. $6. Tickets: eventbrite.com/e/
bueno-comedy-showcase-tickets-15501704014.
Mar. 29: The Montpelier Project: Hometown
Comedy Show. Mix of standup and musical
improv comedy. 35 p.m. The Atrium at City
Center, 89 Main St., Montpelier. Free.
Mar. 30Apr. 3: Fiddler on the Roof. A musical tour hosted by the Central Vermont High
School Initiative. By donation. 454-1053. info.
cvhsi@gmail.com.
Mar. 30: Blackbox Theater, Burlington. 7
p.m.
Mar. 31 and Apr. 1: TBA
Apr. 2: Plainfield Opera House, Rte. 2, Plain
field. 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Apr. 3: Goddard College, Haybarn Theatre,
123 Pitkin Rd., Plainfield, 7 p.m.
Apr. 3: Laugh Local VT Open Mic Comedy
Night. Montpelier's only monthly comedy
open mic. Sign-ups 7:30 p.m.; show starts 8
p.m. The American Legion Post #3, 21 Main
St., Montpelier. Free; donations welcome. Bob:
793-3884.
AUDITIONS
Lost Nation Theaters Summer Theater FOR
Kids BY Kids. Actors, singers and movers age 9
and up are encouraged to audition for LNTs
Production Camps. These are two 2-week,
full-day intensive camps that result in public,
fully-staged, professionally designed and
directed productions. Camps will culminate
in performances of Charlottes Web and Pippin.
Prepare one memorized monologue and 16
bars of a song no longer than two minutes total
and, if possible, a picture and resume. 14
p.m. Montpelier City Hall, Memorial Room,
39 Main St., 1F, Montpelier. First come, first
served. 229-0492. info@lostnationtheater.org.
lostnationtheater.org/production-camps
M A RC H 19 A P R I L 1, 2 015 PAG E 19
T H E B R I D G E
Visual Arts
EXHIBITS
one of the areas most accomplished portraitists. Gallery hours: MonFri., 8 a.m.4:30 p.m.
The Supreme Court Gallery, Montpelier. Free.
828-5657.
Through Mar. 31: Glen Coburn Hutcheson,
Sketches in Oil. A loose array of work from
observation, imagination, and memory, with
varying degrees of finish. The Skinny Pancake,
89 Main St., Montpelier. glen@glencoburnhutcheson.com. glencoburnhutcheson.com.
Through Mar. 31: Athena Petra Tasiopoulos, Transcend. Mixed media works on paper.
Espresso Bueno, 248 N. Main St., Barre. 4790896. espressobueno.com.
Through Apr. 1: Christopher J. Fuhrmeister.
Lighthouse photographs. Gifford Medical Center
Art Gallery (just inside main entrance), 44 S.
Main St., Randolph. Free. 728-7000.
Through Apr. 4: Studio Place Arts. Studio
Place Arts, 201 N. Main St., Barre. 479-7069.
studioplacearts.com.
Main floor: Rock-Paper-Scissors! More than 15
artists exhibit work involving these materials or
some aspect of the game in their artwork.
Second floor: Remembering Our Future Death.
Collages by Michelle Saffran.
Third floor: Fact and Fiction. Sculptures and
drawings by Margaret Jacobs.
Through Apr. 10: Green Mountain Graveyards: Photo Exhibit. Fascinating look into the
past with these photographs. Vermont History
Museum, 109 State St., Montpelier. Exhibit
included in museum fee. 828-2180. amanda.
Orchardist by Amanda Colin. For copies of the
book, please stop by the library. New members
are always welcome. Fourth Mon. through May,
7 p.m. Jaquith Public Library, 122 School St.,
Marshfield. 426-3581. jaquithpubliclibrary@
gmail.com. jaquithpubliclibrary.org.
NAMI Vermont Family Support Group. Support
group for families and friends of individuals living
with mental illness. Fourth Mon., 7 p.m. Central
Vermont Medical Center, room 3, Berlin. 800639-6480 or namivt.org.
gustin@state.vt.us. vermonthistory.org/calendar.
Through Apr. 12: Play. Exhibition on the theme
of play filled with interactive artwork from
regional and national artists. Gallery hours:
Wed.Sun., noon5 p.m. Helen Day Art Center,
90 Pond St., Stowe. Donation. 253-8358. mail@
helenday.com. helenday.com/exhibitions/upcoming.
Through Apr. 12: Experiments: recent paintings and sculptures by Richard Whitten.
Gallery hours: Wed.Sun., noon5 p.m. Helen
Day Art Center, 90 Pond St., Stowe. 253-8358.
helenday.com.
Through Apr. 29: Sarah-Lee Terrat, Inside
the Nitty Gritty- Commercial Art and the
Creative Process. Mixed media. Explore the
creative process as it relates to design, illustration and public art. Gallery hours: Mon.Thur.,
9 a.m.4 p.m.; Fri., 9 a.m. 2 p.m. The Gallery
at River Arts, 74 Pleasant St., Morrisville. Free.
888-1261. riverartsvt.org.
Through Apr. 22: Chuck Bohn and Frederick
Rudi. Painters from Marshfield. Northeast
Kingdom Artisans Guild, 430 Railroad St., St.
Johnsbury. 748-0158.
Through Apr. 29: Sandra Shenk, A Celebration
of Color, Light and Form in the Southwest.
Travel and infrared photography. Gallery hours:
Mon.Thurs., 9 a.m. 4 p.m.; Fri., 9 a.m.2 p.m.
Common Space Gallery, River Arts Center, 74
Pleasant St., Morrisville. 888-1261. riverartsvt.
org.
pelier. yearsoflivingdangerously.com.
TUESDAY, MARCH 24
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25
THURSDAY, MARCH 26
PAG E 2 0 M A RC H 19 A P R I L 1, 2 015
FRIDAY, MARCH 27
THE BRIDGE
SATURDAY, MARCH 28
Auction at Bethany Church. Collectibles, memorabilia, household and decorative items, door
prizes. Preview 8 a.m.; bidding starts 9:30 a.m.;
breakfast 89:30 a.m. Bethany Church, 115 Main
St., Montpelier.
Vermont State Science and Mathematics Fair.
Showcases the work of Vermont public, private
and homeschool students in grades 512 who
have won local science and math fair competitions. The students will display projects that
tackle questions and pose solutions arising from
the fields of science, technology, engineering and
math (STEM). 9 a.m.4 p.m.; awards ceremony
in Dole Auditorium 1:30 p.m. Norwich University, Bartoletto Hall, 158 Harmon Dr., Northfield.
Free; open to the public. 485-2319. pinkhamc@
norwich.edu. scifair@norwich.edu.
The Stowe Home & Garden Show. Mar. 2829.
The most up-to-date information on products and
services for your home and garden. Learn about
the latest design and remodeling trends from
industry experts and explore innovative ideas for
every area of your home. Foodie Fair. 10 a.m.6
p.m. Stowe High School, 413 Barrows Rd., Stowe.
Free; suggested donation to benefit Stowe Theatre
Guild. stowehomeshow.com.
Rare and Endangered Plants: What Allows
Plants to Make a Difference? A talk by Bob
SUNDAY, MARCH 29
MONDAY, MARCH 30
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1
THURSDAY, APRIL 2
FRIDAY, APRIL 3
SATURDAY, APRIL 4
Tell them
you saw it in
The Bridge!
M A RC H 19 A P R I L 1, 2 015 PAG E 21
T H E B R I D G E
Music
VENUES
Bagitos. 28 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 2299212. bagitos.com.
Mar. 20: Lane Gibson (indie folk, rock) 68
p.m.
Mar. 21: Irish Session with Sarah Blair, Hilari
Farrington, Benedict Koehler, Katrina VanTyne,
Bob Ryan and others, 25 p.m.; Lefty Unger
(blues/funk/soul) 68 p.m.
Mar. 22: Two Cents in the Till (bluegrass) 11
a.m.1 p.m.
Mar. 25: Alice & Adam with Autumn FutakCole (contemporary folk) 68 p.m.
Mar. 26: Rockwood Ferry (alt. folk) 68 p.m.
Mar. 27: Bitter Greens (Americana, swing, alt.
country) 68 p.m.
Mar. 28: Irish Session with Sarah Blair, Hilari
Farrington, Benedict Koehler, Katrina VanTyne,
Bob Ryan and others, 25 p.m.; Danny Fallon
& Friends (acoustic folk, rock, country) 68
p.m.
Mar. 29: Bleeker & McDougal (folk) 11 a.m.1
p.m.
Mar. 31: The Peoples Caf, 68 p.m.
Charlie O's World Famous. 70 Main St., Montpelier. Free. 223-6820.
Mar. 20: Abby Jenne (rock) 7 p.m.; Green Mt.
Playboys (Cajun) 10 p.m.
Mar. 21: Broken String Band (bluegrass) 7 p.m.;
The Cop-Outs (Irish punk) 10 p.m.
Mar. 27: Abby Jenne (rock) 7 p.m.; Rough
Francis, Gorcrow (punk, metal) 10 p.m.
Mar. 28: Dan Zura, Kenna Donovan (acoustic)
7p.m.; Toot Sweet (Gypsy) 10 p.m.
North Branch Caf. 41 State St., Montpelier.
Free. 552-8105. donia@thenorth-branch.com.
thenorth-branch.com.
Mar. 21: Michelle Rodriguez (blues, jazz, indie-
SPECIAL EVENTS
Mar. 21: Music for a March Evening. Faculty concert, dinner and auction presented by
Monteverdi Music School. 6 p.m. Monteverdi
Music School, 46 Barre St., Montpelier. Adults
$25; students/seniors $20; children 10 and under
$10. 229-9000. director@monteverdimusic.org.
monteverdimusic.org/events
Mar. 21: Vassily Primakov and Natalia Lavrovia. Piano duo. 7:30 p.m. Chandler Music Hall,
71-73 Main St., Montpelier. $32 advance; $35 day
of show; students $10. 728-6464. chandler-arts.
org.
Mar. 21: Cellist Edward Arron and Pianist Jeewon Park. Two of todays finest young classical
musicians offer a program of Beethoven, Rachmaninoff and Piazzolla. The concert is part of
the TD Bank Celebration Series. 7:30 p.m. Barre
Opera House, 6 N. Main St., Barre. $1527. 4768188. barreoperahouse.org.
Mar. 22: Northern Harmony World Music Vocal Quartet in Concert. A program of a capella
music from many lands and many centuries,
including 14th century works by Ciconia, traditional music from Corsica, Georgia, Ukraine and
Bulgaria, and American shape-note and Appalachian songs. 4 p.m. Bethany Church, 115 Main
St., Montpelier. Suggested admission: adults $15;
students and seniors $10. 426-3210.
OR
send listing to
calendar@montpelierbridge.com
Deadline for next issue is
March 26.
PAG E 2 2 M A RC H 19 A P R I L 1, 2 015
Weekly Events
ART & CRAFT
Beaders Group. All levels of beading experience
welcome. Free instruction available. Come with
a project for creativity and community. Sat., 11
a.m.2 p.m. The Bead Hive, Plainfield. 454-1615.
Noontime Knitters. All abilities welcome. Basics
taught. Crocheting, needlepoint and tatting also
welcome. Tues., noon1 p.m. Waterbury Public
Library, 28 N. Main St., Waterbury. 244-7036.
Women Knitting for Peace Group. Knit/crochet
items to be donated to those in need world-wide.
Bring yarn and needles. Thurs., 1011 a.m. and
67:30 p.m. Montpelier Senior Activity Center,
58 Barre St., Montpelier. 223-2518. For basic info.
and patterns: knitting4peace.org.
BICYCLING
Open Shop Nights. Volunteer-run community
bike shop: bike donations and repairs. Fri., 46
p.m.; other nights. Freeride Montpelier, 89 Barre
St., Montpelier. 552-3521. freeridemontpelier.org.
BUSINESS, FINANCE,
COMPUTERS, EDUCATION
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance. Free tax
preparation for people who have $53,000 or less in
income. Capstone Community Action, 20 Gable
Place, Barre. Free. 479-1053.
Mon. through Apr. 6, 4:308 p.m.
Tues. through Apr. 7, 4:308 p.m.
Wed. through Apr. 1, 4:308 p.m.
Calendar of Events
THE BRIDGE
Valley Senior Center, 4583 U.S. Rte. 2, E. Montpelier. Free. 223-3322. twinvalleyseniors.org.
RECYCLING
SOLIDARITY/IDENTITY
SPIRITUALITY
M A RC H 19 A P R I L 1, 2 015 PAG E 2 3
T H E B R I D G E
JOB OPPORTUNITY:
SERVICES:
ROOF SHOVELING
Reasonable Rates
Fully Insured
233-1116
alsmithroofing.com
The ideal applicant would be interested in organic farming, reliable, energetic, able to work
well with a crew and independently. Previous
farm experience preferred.
Seasonal work from MayOctober, with
short term positions (June peony harvest) also
available. Farm is in Roxbury Vermont (www.
thirdbranch.com).
To apply, send your cover letter, resume and
three employment references to:
jobs@thirdbranch.com
Weatherization Remodeling
WORKSHOP:
POETRY WORKSHOP:
COURTING THE MUSE
Four-session workshop focused on generating
poems. Open to six new writers or serious
scribblers. Begin or add to your treasure trove of
writing prompts in a small group experience led
by an experienced writer.
Montpelier, Saturday March 28, April 4,11, and
18. $120. For more information, visit katefetherston.com or email kate@katefetherston.
com
Recycle
This Paper!
T&T Truck for Hire
GREGS
PAINTING
802-479-2733
gpdpainting@aol.com
802.262.6013 evenkeelvt.com
Rocque Long
Painting
Insured
30+ years professional
experience
local references.
802-223-0389
New Construction
Renovations
Woodworking
General Contracting
224.1360
Tell them
you saw it in
The Bridge!
223-3447
clarconstruction.com
Since 1972
Repairs New floors and walls
Crane work Decorative concrete
Consulting ICF foundations
114 Three Mile Bridge Rd., Middlesex, VT (802) 229-0480
gendronbuilding@aol.com gendronconcrete.com
PAG E 24 M A RC H 19 A P R I L 1, 2 015
THE BRIDGE
Opinion
n an opinion published in The Bridges March 5 edition, anti-vaccine activist and homeopath Charlotte Gilruth makes false and
defamatory accusations about the parent-led vaccine organization
Voices for Vaccines, for which I volunteer as co-director. The other
director, Karen Ernst, is a military wife and mother of three. Neither
she nor I are, as Gilruth claims, a CDC veteran. Further, we are
not an off-shoot of a task force funded by Merck and Novartis and
the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. We rely exclusively, and entirely, on member
donations.
We are administratively housed at the Task Force for Global Health, but Gilruth seems
to misunderstand that concept. It means that we are currently so small in size administratively that we require an administrative home in order to operate. The Task Force for
Global Health provides us a mailing address to receive donations from our members that
are earmarked for Voices for Vaccines. We do not receive money from the Task Force for
Global Health or any pharmaceutical company. In fact, we have to pay the Task Force for
Global Health for its administrative services. Both Karen and I live in the Twin Cities,
not Georgia, where the Task Force is based. This is because we have no relationship with
them beyond one that is administrative in nature.
But this is almost beside the point. Gilruths argument, while wildly inaccurate, is not
unfamiliar to us. At first, Karen and I were bemused and then bewildered that two
midwestern moms would be accused of being pharma shills or in the pocket of Big
Pharma. Then we learned we werent the only parents being targeted in this manner. It
seemed any time a mother or father would speak out on social media about his or her decision to vaccinate their children, they would find themselves the target of similar attacks
something that became so predictable that we came to call the pharma shill gambit.
Apparently there are people out there, Gilruth included, who seriously believe that pharmaceutical companies are not only employing tens of thousands of people to pose as
parents on Facebook, Twitter, and blog posts, but have also apparently bought the silence
of pediatricians, public health officials and other medical providers. Gilruth seems to be-
Opinion
S
o its official: The National Academy of Sciences recently announced that we are
in fact in a climate crisis of our own making due to our failure to get off fossil fuels
when we should have done that back in the 1970s and 80s.
The academy is now calling for dramatic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, including from fracking, along with major reforestation and topsoil restoration efforts, beginning this decade all good ideas, long overdue, and talk about a jobs and infrastructure
program! The situation does indeed now seem dire. Even as I type this, the Arctic is in
a death spiral, and it seems hell-bent on taking us down along with it. Its sea-ice pack is
going fast. Greenland is also showing early signs of rapid ice-collapse. If it lets out, this
will raise seas substantially and quickly, well before later this century.
And methane (a super-potent greenhouse gas) is increasingly erupting from thawing Arctic tundra and shallow sea floor permafrost, most notably, along the East Siberian Arctic
Shelf, in amounts that have been described by scientists as horrific. The Earth's temperate oceans decided theyd had enough of overheating due to unnatural global warming
from fossil fuel emissions. Now, they are giving this heat back to the Arctic Ocean in
trumps. Because of this, the Arctic has recently warmed up to a point where the temperature difference between it and the equator has diminished substantially, weakening the
polar jet stream. This is allowing for the air patterns that are leading to a marked increase
in abnormal, highly damaging, weather events of late, including a displaced polar vortex,
according to an article in Scientific American.
And a number of Arctic specialists are saying it could get much worse, real fast. Theyre
saying that Mother Earths biosphere is so maxed out from greenhouse gases, that even
serious emissions reductions and far better stewardship will no longer be enough to save
the day on their own anymore. In order to stave off disaster, a safe and efficient way to
capture excess carbon from the atmosphere, and put it back in the ground where it belonged in the first place, must be found before long.
So, here we are, at least half-way to heck with a huge decision on our hands: Do we continue to go along with global warming and climate change deniers, or not?
Opinion
I
have been lucky enough to dance and sing with many kids around the state since
I stopped teaching Spanish full time in a school. I really think that kids learn best
when they are happy, and singing is a great tool for teaching. I have been singing
Spanish songs with kids, with Spanish Musical Kids around Buenos Aires, Boston,
Vermont, Alaska, New York City and California. Mothers, parents, grandparents and
caretakers sing with us and it is so nice to see so many families connecting.
I love to sing and dance with families. It is my passion! I love to see young kids dancing and smiling, being so happy. I have been doing this since 2009, when I became a
mother of a beautiful daughter, Lucia. For some reason I could not stop singing to her.
Maybe this was because I come from a musical family. My grandmother was a music
teacher and my mother was a musician. My mom played the piano, the guitar and she
used to sing to us all the time, during 12-hour car rides and at the house: Always. My
grandmother played piano and sang also. So, I grew up thinking that this was the way
everybody did it.
It is proven by many studies that music makes you happy and dancing helps in many
ways, like losing weight, reducing stress, fighting depression and much more! So get out
there in the living room, sing and dance with your kids and family, like the mayor of
Burlington, Miro Weinberger, came and joined us this past Thursday at the Fletcher
Free Library with his wife and daughter! Music is fun and your kids will thank you in
the end.
Constancia Gomez is a teacher at PACEM and the founder of Spanish Musical Kids and
La Lu Farm.
M A RC H 19 A P R I L 1, 2 015 PAG E 2 5
T H E B R I D G E
Editorial
When the Kickstarter campaign began on Friday, Feb. 13, the dollar
goal was set at $10,000, but when the four-week campaign officially
ended on Saturday, March 14. 173 backers had contributed $12,567 in amounts that
ranged from a dollar to over $1,000.
From time to time in recent years we have been encouraged to consider a Kickstarter
campaign as a way of reaching out to readers and friends to seek support for The Bridge.
Well, we demurred. And we demurred for good reason. There was no one at The Bridge
who could really conceive of such a campaign and take it every step of the way to a successful conclusion.
But this year, in the person of our Managing Editor Carla Occaso and with the help
of our graphic designer Marichel Vaught, we had the critical players who could put a
campaign together, take it online, and keep supporting the campaign with comment,
information, fresh offers of help, from beginning to end.
Our Kickstarter presentation begins with these words: The Bridge is a fiercely local,
twice-monthly newspaper that reports on the community around Montpelier, Vermont.
Of course, thats exactly what The Bridge is a twice-monthly, fiercely local newspaper that takes itself seriously but not too seriously. And the little videos that were part
of the Kickstarter presentation show us in both formal and casual clothes.
In formal clothes, of course, The Bridge reports on such august institutions as the Montpelier City Council and from time to time the Vermont State Legislature. In our casual
clothes, were a paper of enthusiasm. We treasure Montpeliers face-to-face downtown.
We embrace the arts. Were excited by people who put on plays, paint pictures, make
music, and protect historic buildings. Were also fascinated by innovation.
And we like to laugh.
Some of our enthusiasms and some of the silliness of life around us got expressed in our
Kickstarter campaign. We offered cupcakes as a reward for people who pledged money
to The Bridge. And after that offer, Carla asked New England Culinary Institute if they
would be willing to make the cupcakes, and they agreed. What do people really want
in their lives? Cupcakes. Those were the most popular reward offered to those who
pledged to our campaign.
We also got a strong response to an offer of computer help from Norwich University
computer expert Jeremy Hansen, a computer scientist who volunteered his time to help us
reach our goal. Subscriptions to The Bridge did well. Also popular was an offer from re-
PAG E 26 M A RC H 19 A P R I L 1, 2 015
Letters
Cringed at the Term
Women Wannabes
Editor:
While I appreciate The Bridge's profiles of
interesting (and fabulous) local businesses, I
have a few language issues with your story on
the Wig Goddess, Feb. 5.
The correct, broad term for folks whose gender identity is different than the one assigned
to them at birth is transgender (or trans
for short), not transgendered. We dont say
that someone is maled, femaled, lesbianed,
gayed, Latinoed, or blacked. Being trans is
an identity, not a thing that happens to you
or a thing that you did it's an adjective,
not a noun.
Also, toward the beginning of the story you
refer to "women and women wannabes." I
have to admit, I cringed when I read that sentence. No one is a woman wannabe (unless
you're comparing us all to society's ridiculous beauty standards, that is!). People who
identify as women are women. Period. Drag
queens and other folks who play with gender
presentation may or may not be women, but
their gender identity whatever it is is
as real as anyone else's, most certainly not
"wannabe" anything.
I think its great that The Bridge is talking about trans folks and gender issues, but
next time, please take the time to check that
your language is inclusive and not offensive.
GLAAD's media guide for covering LGBT
and queer issues is a good resource: glaad.
org/reference.
Dana Dwinell-Yardley
Montpelier
Shumlin Failed on
Health Care Financing
Editor:
My name is Farid Quraishi and I am a
student at SIT Graduate Institute in Brattleboro. People get sick. Its a reality of life.
When I was a child I had to undergo a
THE BRIDGE
Educational Freedom
Available For a Price
Farid Quraishi
Brattleboro
Editor:
Editor:
We are pleased to be credited with starting
the Green Mountain Film Festival (issue of
March 5-18), but we'd like to add that the
festival became a successful event in those
early years largely due to the vision, energy,
and organizational brilliance of our friend
and colleague Chris Wood (now of Tunbridge). Bravo, Chris, and "bon cinema" as
they say in Montreal!
Andrea Serota
Rick Winston
Government is Sticking it
to the Plow Drivers
To Gov. Peter Shumlin:
I am a hard-working Vermont state employee
for the Agency of Transportation (District
3). I plow the roads. Us plow drivers get up,
when needed, at 3 a.m. (sometimes working
seven days a week) to make sure our roads
are safe so Vermonters (including yourself)
can go to work and so everyone's kids can
get to school.
That said, I see and read the things you
and the legislature are proposing, and I very
much disapprove. You ask for pay cuts and
threaten to lay off 450 working-class people
if we do not open the contract which we negotiated with you in good faith. You refuse
to balance the budget by raising taxes on the
wealthy and instead want to take money out
of my pocket to cover your failures. You want
me and the other plow drivers to open our
contracts and give back the 2.5 percent pay
raise we all agree to.
I make just over $17 an hour, while the average wage of a plow driver is $38,000 a year.
Yet you have made it clear that you will not
tax the wealthy who can afford it to cover
the budget gap that you created. But I do
not expect you to necessarily understand the
hardships you are asking us to suffer, as I am
told you are personally worth $10 million.
Maybe you don't understand that taking $36
a paycheck out of my wages (which on average you are proposing for all plow divers) is
the difference between making or missing a
mortgage payment, a utility bill or buying
a pair of shoes for the kids. Maybe you also
don't understand how hard we work for the
modest pay we receive.
Therefore, I invite you, Mr. Governor, to
shadow my job as an AOT snowplow truck
driver through just one storm. Otherwise,
I look forward to remembering who stood
with and against working-class Vermonters
when I enter the booth during our next general election.
Ed Olsen
Proctor
M A RC H 19 A P R I L 1, 2 015 PAG E 27
T H E B R I D G E
PAG E 2 8 M A RC H 19 A P R I L 1, 2 015
THE BRIDGE